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[KSweeley]

Link: https://twitter.com/ashly_burch/status/874344938627977216

Ashly Burch ‏Verified account
@ashly_burch

Hey y'all, to the fans asking - I wasn't able to reprise my role as Chloe in Life is Strange: Before the Storm due to the SAG-AFTRA strike
3:17 PM - 12 Jun 2017

 

[Persona7]

Wow, that really sucks. Not sure if I will even bother now.

Disappointing but this is necessary.

 

[SoulUnison]

Wait, so this is going to be a story that takes place extremely close to the original while having a stand-in for a main character?
There isn't even room to pull a time difference or say "puberty!" or something.

That's not likely to go super well.

 

[True Fire]

This is ridiculous and pretty much ruins the game for me

 

[SolidChamp]

No sale.

Sorry. I'd rather preserve LiS as I know it.

 

[KSweeley]

Arrg, stupid autocorrect, can someone correct the title so the name is spelled correctly for Chloe?

 

[StarSketch]

Wait, so this is going to be a story that takes place extremely close to the original while having a stand-in for a main character?
There isn't even room to pull a time difference or say "puberty!" or something.

That's not likely to go super well.

Well, at least the strike's doing it's job, then. Enough fan backlash, and maybe companies will listen. -shrug-

 

[KDC720]

What's the point then? Especially in a narrative driven game where the performance of the voice actors is what helps us to like and connect to characters in the first place.

I've already grown accustomed to Ashly Burch as Chloe, my interest in this prequel has dropped significantly now.

 

[Stumpokapow]

Wait, so this is going to be a story that takes place extremely close to the original while having a stand-in for a main character?
There isn't even room to pull a time difference or say "puberty!" or something.

err... there's a 3 year time gap, so yes there is room to pull a time difference?

 

[dragonbane]

uhh dead in the water then for hardcore fans. Bizarre

 

[water_wendi]

uhh dead in the water then for hardcore fans. Bizarre

DLC.

 

[KSweeley]

uhh dead in the water then for hardcore fans. Bizarre

How is it bizarre that a union strike caused a voice actress to not be able to reprise her role?

 

[grosvenor_92]

Now I'm really unsure how I feel about this game

 

[sssstententen]

Gonna be a lot of faux outrage.

As long as the quality is there, good for them for still making the game, and good for her for standing her ground.

If it suffers/is lesser than yeah it'll be unfortunate, but I'm not gonna pass on the game for this.

 

[HamsterExAstris]

How is it bizarre that a union strike caused a voice actress to not be able to reprise her role?

"Bizarre" isn't the strike, it's Squeenix going ahead with the game after recasting.

I won't say "it can't work", but it's not going to be easy.

 

[mreddie]

If the writing is still solid, I'll still play.

But fucking, companies better fix this shit.

 

[mishakoz]

"Bizarre" isn't the strike, it's Squeenix going ahead with the game after recasting.

I won't say "it can't work", but it's not going to be easy.

Do you let one person hold up development of an entire game?

I'm not saying either way, but that's what this would be.

 

[IdreamofHIME]

Too bad for her, doesn't bother me. Day one.

 

[Shy]

Good for her for taking a stand.

Some of the big actors are fucking scabs.

 

[ShooterMcGavin]

Whaaat?!?!? That...might be a deal breaker for me.

I get it though, not questioning her stance. Still sucks for me.

 

[Tal Shiar Agent]

Hopefully the strike hasn't impacted her work on the Horizon franchise.

 

[paragonpro]

Well they just lost my sale

 

[MaximusPrimus]

But isn't she a producer or something on the game though? I'm sure i read that somewhere. Weird.

 

[mreddie]

But isn't she a producer or something on the game though? I'm sure i read that somewhere. Weird.

Is Arkham Origins and DMC 3 can get away with changing VAs for the prequel, why the fuck not?

 

[old manatee]

This thing is sounding more and more like video gaming's Donnie Darko 2.

 

[ASaiyan]

Shouldn't be too noticeable. It's not like it's a narrative-driven game.

Spoiler

/s

 

[Strimei]

But isn't she a producer or something on the game though? I'm sure i read that somewhere. Weird.

I'm sure that's no problem, its if you're doing voice work that its the issue, since its SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild‐American Federation of Television and Radio Artists)

 

[kevin1025]

Hopefully the strike hasn't impacted her work on the Horizon franchise.

It doesn't look like it, with that Horizon DLC trailer.

 

[LiK]

WTF, this won't be the same Chloe to me

 

[ExMachina]

Yeah, super bummed that Ashly didn't get the chance to reprise her role for this...

But isn't she a producer or something on the game though? I'm sure i read that somewhere. Weird.

She's a writing consultant - as mentioned in a blog post here and in the the Dev Diary they released alongside the trailer.

 

[Stiler]

I don't even get why they couldn't wait out the strike and then do the voice work...I mean voicework is like one of the last things to finish up during game development.

 

[Kneefoil]

That sounds bad. Hopefully they can get someone who can imitate her well.

 

[KSweeley]

https://www.sagaftra.org/interactive/faqs

WHAT WORK IS STRUCK?
All video games, including work such as DLC and trailers under the Interactive Contract, that went into production after February 17, 2015 for the following employers: Activision Publishing Inc.; Blindlight, LLC; Corps of Discovery Films; Disney Character Voices, Inc.; Electronic Arts Productions, Inc.; Formosa Interactive, LLC; Insomniac Games, Inc.; Interactive Associates, Inc.; Take 2 Interactive Software; VoiceWorks Productions, Inc.; and WB Games, Inc.
All other employers are encouraged to continue production.
Members can continue to work on other projects, such as Animation, TV/Film, Corporate/Education, Audiobooks, Commercials, etc.
If you suspect that a member is working on a struck production, please contact the hotline at (323) 549-6815. Please know, the community has decided to strike because the short-term risk of loss-of-work is outweighed by the long-term gain of a better contract in a growing industry.

Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016–17_video_game_voice_actor_strike

The 2016-17 video game voice actor strike is an ongoing strike started on October 21, 2016, by the Screen Actors Guild‐American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) union against 11 American video game developers and publishers over failed contract renegotiation terms that had been in discussion since February 2015. Principally, the union seeks to have actors and voice and motion capture artists that contribute to video games be better compensated with residuals based on video game sales atop their existing recording payments, while the industry companies assert that the industry as a whole eschews the use of residuals, and by giving the actors these, they would trivialize the efforts of the programmers and artists that are most responsible for the development of the games. In exchange, the companies have offered a fixed increase in rates and a sliding-scale upfront bonus for multiple recording sessions, which the union has rejected. Other issues highlighted by the strike action include better transparency in what roles and conditions actors would perform, more safety precautions and oversight to avoid vocal stress for certain roles, and better safety assurances for actors while on set.

Actors within the union have used both physical and virtual picketing to make the public aware of their complaints, and they have gained support from similar acting unions from Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand along with other unions within the entertainment industry. It is the first such unionized strike in the video game industry. On April 23, 2017, the strike surpassed 183 days and became the longest strike in the history of the Screen Actors Guild. Because of the long development period for video games, the strike is expected to last a long time to have its impacts felt by the industry.

 

[BTA]

Really unfortunate though entirely understandable.

Do wish they just... hadn't done it till after the strike ends though, cause that's gonna be jarring as hell.

 

[dragonbane]

How is it bizarre that a union strike caused a voice actress to not be able to reprise her role?

Bizarre they would move ahead without her. i guess it was already too far in production to keep on hold i suppose

 

[ScaryShark]

Well my interest has plummeted.

 

[jfoul]

I was wondering what the hell was going on when she spoke in the trailer.

 

[HP_Wuvcraft]

Good for her. It's a fucking shame Square Enix decided to go forward.

But this is going to give some really good visibility that the strike so desperately needed.

 

[Zolo]

Bizarre they would move ahead without her. i guess it was already too far in production to keep on hold i suppose

Yeah. Voice work is generally done last, so I suspect they worked on the game for a while, and then when the voice work came, the strike started.

 

[JayEH]

I don't even get why they couldn't wait out the strike and then do the voice work...I mean voicework is like one of the last things to finish up during game development.

how could they wait it out? it won't end unless the publishers decided to renegotiate with the union and they haven't budged. they can't just sit on the game forever.

 

[BreezyLimbo]

When did the strike start? 9 months ago? 10 months ago?(6 months ago, felt longer)

Y'know, you'd think that they'd figure out the strike isn't working as the companies targeted just don't care about the strike and will continue cranking games.

Shame Ashly won't be Chloe, but y'know, it shouldn't be much of a surprise. Ball is in the publishers court, and they don't NEED to play ball to keep making games, because voice actors are literally only a minuscule percentage of a game.

 

[KSweeley]

When did the strike start? 9 months ago? 10 months ago?

Y'know, you'd think that they'd figure out the strike isn't working as the companies targeted just don't care about the strike and will continue cranking games.

Shame Ashly won't be Chloe, but y'know, it shouldn't be much of a surprise. Ball is in the publishers court, and they don't NEED to play ball to keep making games, because voice actors are literally only a minuscule percentage of a game.

Strike started on October 21, 2016.

 

[Maximo]

Yeeeaah won't be the same not getting money out of me.

 

[dragonbane]

https://www.sagaftra.org/interactive/faqs



Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016–17_video_game_voice_actor_strike

SE isnt on there but I assume they contracted VoiceWork or something to handle the acting work?

 

[dottme]

Are we hearing Chloe in any of the presentations? I don't remember hearing her voice.

 

[HP_Wuvcraft]

Can you imagine how the reception would be different if Naughty Dog was one of the companies on the list?

 

[brickarts295]

Can you imagine how the reception would be different if Naughty Dog was one of the companies on the list?

Sony would be like:

 

[BreezyLimbo]

Sony would be like:

Would sony really care? Wasn't it Nolan North at the VGAs throwing shade at the people striking the game companies?

 

[Linkyn]

Mad props to her. Shame about the game, though. I really liked her performance in LiS.

 

[Giolon]

I had no idea the strike was still going on (or really that it even happened. I only ever saw the lead up to it).

Man this sucks. Why do I have a feeling that the video game companies are just going to find non-union replacements for everything and we won't be seeing much of our favorite actors anymore?